Analysis of the impact of traveling waves on offshore source interconnection lines: effects on fault location and line protection

• Grant number: 25/03054-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: August 18, 2025
• End date: February 17, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Power Systems
• Principal Investigator: Jose Pissolato Filho
• Grantee: Adrian Wilmer Diaz Sarmiento
• Supervisor: Flavio Bezerra Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/15636-0 - Analysis of the propagation of traveling waves in overhead, underground, and submarine transmission lines: impact on fault location and line protection, BP.MS

Abstract

The growing global demand for energy has underscored the importance of submarine cables (SCBs) in integrating offshore wind farms and connecting regions separated by water. HVDC and HVAC submarine cables are becoming essential components of future energy systems. However, these systems face significant challenges in fault location and line protection, particularly when using traveling wave (TW) methods. The transient behavior of TWs in submarine cables differs considerably from that in overhead lines, leading to greater signal attenuation, complex coupling between conducting layers, and interference from reflections and refractions at bonding nodes or SCB-to-overhead line (OHL) transitions.Current fault location techniques, particularly offline methods, are time-consuming and heavily reliant on external testing equipment. Online methods, including those based on traveling waves, often struggle with signal interference from reflections and refractions, especially in hybrid transmission systems that combine submarine cables and overhead lines. Furthermore, the accuracy and reliability of fault detection in submarine cables are frequently compromised by oversimplified modeling approaches that fail to capture their complex transient behaviors. Similarly, protection schemes based on traveling waves must account for the transient effects of multilayered cable configurations, including core insulation, sheath, and armor layers.The effectiveness of TW-based protection schemes in submarine environments depends on accurately modeling SCBs under various conditions, considering different configurations and bonding techniques. This project addresses fault location and protection challenges by analyzing the effects of traveling waves and their modal decomposition, which arise from transient signal behavior in offshore interconnection lines. For fault location, the research focuses on advanced signal processing techniques, such as the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and the DS Filter, to improve accuracy under varying conditions. Additionally, advanced protection functions, including TW87, a differential protection scheme, and TW32, a directional protection function, will be assessed to determine their speed and reliability in fault response. (AU)